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Many pests take refuge in stacks of firewood. Be sure to store your wood at least 20 feet away from your home.

If you and your family and friends enjoy gathering around a fire on a summer night you are likely in good company as many in Missouri sit back and relax around a fire pit during the summer. Unfortunately, there is a downside to having a fire pit on your property. You may be attracting unwanted pest problems. That’s right, fire pits (and the wood that fuels them) could be why pests such as ants, mosquitoes, rodents and wood destroying insects are showing up both indoors and out. Thankfully, there are ways that you can avoid pest problems and still enjoy your fire pit.   

Providing St. Louis pest control as well as service throughout Mid-Missouri for well over 50 years, Rottler Pest & Lawn Solutions understands the pest pressures common to our region and offer these pest prevention tips:

If you toast marshmallows, make s’mores or simply enjoy drinks and snacks by the fire, we encourage you to clean up your crumbs, trash and other debris once the flames are out.  Leaving them to the next day is an open invitation to foraging pests.  

When it comes to firewood, termites and carpenter ants (both wood destroying insects) are the biggest pest threat however rodents, spiders and other pests are likely to find shelter among the logs.  To help prevent any infestations with wood destroying insects and other pests, do not keep your firewood inside the garage or near your home.  It is best to store firewood at least 20 feet away from the dwelling and up off the ground.

And lastly, an important precaution is to keep water near the fire in case it gets out of control. But make sure that you only bring water out while you are having a fire and empty the can when you are done. Also cover your fire pit after use so that rain water does not collect inside. Stagnant water is the ultimate breeding ground for mosquitoes and with hundreds of thousands being born each day, you want to do everything you can to avoid these blood sucking pests.

When we allow pests to gain access to our outdoor fires, we are also inviting them near our homes. In order to sleep without buzzing near your head and to keep the inside of your home pest free, you want to keep your property as pest free as possible. But if your nighttime fires have provoked the pests (it’s ok, it happens) then it is important to get rid of them as soon as possible so they do not pose any further threats to you and your home. Contact the pest control pros at Rottler today to learn more about our residential pest control! 

Tags: Pest Prevention  |  pest control tips  |  fire pits and pests  |  summer pests